The Best Online Resources for Learning Mandarin Chinese

Learning to read and write in Chinese used to be just for those taking the subject at university. However, thanks to the boom in the Chinese economy and the Confucius Institute, if you want to take Mandarin lessons, there are Chinese classes all over the world.

In fact, there are plenty of universities that offer degrees in Chinese, Chinese evening classes at community centres and language schools, and private tutors up and down the country who are ready to teach you all about the Chinese language.

In addition to all the classes and tutorials popping up, the Chinese language has seen a digital boom, too! The Chinese language is now everywhere and, as a result, there are plenty of ways to learn the language with just the click of a mouse.

In the early days of the world wide web, there were only a few sites that held a monopoly on learning Chinese online and if you wanted to speak Chinese, you had a very limited choice. Nowadays, on the other hand, there are now so many sites that it can be difficult to work out which methods work the best and which sites you should be using to help you learn Mandarin Chinese!

That’s where the Superprof team comes in to save the day with the best websites for learning Chinese! Whether you’re struggling with Chinese characters, looking for Chinese lessons, wanting to move to Beijing, or just interested in learning more about Chinese culture, these are the websites you need to visit.

Forvo

Learning foreign languages on the Internet has never been simpler! You’ll have probably noticed that learning Standard Mandarin Chinese on the Internet is becoming increasingly popular, too, and, as a result, it’s never been easier to learn Chinese online.

Which learning method should you use when you first start learning Chinese? (Source: rawpixel.com)

If you’re learning a language on your own or online, pronunciation might be something you’ll struggle with since there’s nobody around to correct you. This is where a site like Forvo comes in really handy!

While this site isn’t geared towards teaching you grammar, vocabulary, phrases, or even tones in the traditional sense, every Chinese learner should add “Forvo” to their browser favourites. Forvo is a fantastic resource for mastering Chinese pronunciation. Just type whatever Chinese word you’d like to pronounce into the search bar and the website will tell you exactly how it’s pronounced.

However, this isn’t just a website for those learning Chinese. Forvo claims to have pronunciations for every word in the world! While this probably isn’t true, there are still tonnes of different languages available with multiple examples of pronunciations for each word from Chinese people. In addition to words, there are also examples of full sentences, expressions, and idioms for you to listen to as well.

Chinese Forums

If you want to improve you Chinese from the comfort of your own home, you need to get involved with communities of other language learners, too.

Are digital resources the way forward when it comes to learning Chinese? (Source: pixabay.com)

Chinese Forums is one of the best places to go if you have any questions about learning Chinese or are having a problem. There are plenty of very active users who are happy to help absolute beginners as well as more experienced students. You can find the answers to almost all of your questions on Chinese here as well as meet other forum users who are just as interested in Chinese as you.

The best thing, though? It’s completely free!

Jukuu

While dictionaries are great for looking up words, you’ll understand a word much better if you can see it being used in context or in a sentence.

This is where Jukuu comes into play. Jukuu is more than a dictionary, it’s a search engine for Chinese-English sentences and translations so that you can see both what the word means and how you’d use it in a sentence.

Personally, I find that these kinds of websites are far more useful than dictionaries since an out-of-context translation of a word can result in you completely misunderstanding a word or a whole sentence.

Memrise

Memrise is a website that includes plenty of different courses. There are plenty of different e-learning tools on their website for a variety of different languages including Chinese!

While Memrise is free, it also includes a “Pro” version that includes things like: Learn and review, grammarbot, pro chats, difficult words mode, speed Review, listening skills mode, video mode, and learning stats. The free mode, on the other hand, only includes the learn and review function.

FluentU

FluentU is a platform that offers Chinese language classes through videos and includes a plethora of video resources for a variety of different languages. While it’s not free, there are “basic” and “plus” subscription packages which you can cancel at any time. The “plus” subscription for $20 a month includes:

iPhone, iPad App

Unlimited Word Lookup

Unlimited Videos, Audios

Unlimited Flashcards

Unlimited Quiz

Spaced Repetition

Create Your Own Flashcards

FluentU works by taking entertaining videos in the target language, transcribing them, subtitling them, and then translating them. All you have to do is watch them and pay attention!

Is learning online enough to start speaking Chinese when you land? (Source: kaboompics.com)

This means you can enjoy real Chinese videos from Chinese-speaking countries rather than materials that have been specifically for language learning. This method works by enabling you to create your own immersion environment where you can experience Chinese-language culture for less than the cost of a plane ticket. There are also quizzes so that you can test yourself and see how you’re progressing.

Finally, there’s also an app available so that you can benefit from your FluentU subscription whilst you’re on the go or waiting for a bus, etc.

Mandarin lessons London, tutors for Chinese in London, or Cardiff or anywhere else for that matter, you can find them with us.

Of course, while private tutorials aren’t as cheap as some of the other methods you can use to learn to speak Chinese, they are significantly cheaper than a flight to China and are definitely the option you should be taking if you’ve already bought your flights and need to get to grips with the language before you go.